Tears In The Rain
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: She thinks I'm so strong, but she's so wrong. She just couldn't see these tears in the rain. Sequel to Of My Heart.


This piece came entirely out of the blue today, after I heard the Tim McGraw song, Tears In The Rain. I was so moved by it that I decided to write a story for it, and then it occurred to me that it would make a perfect sequel to my story, Of The Heart. So that's how I wrote it! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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"Fi!"

Michael Westen shot up in his bed, his heart racing. Outside, rain was falling in torrents against the glass of the window. The loft was bathed in darkness, and he reached out, expecting to pull Fiona's warm form into his arms. But all his hand found was cool sheets.

Sliding out of the bed, Michael checked the bathroom and the kitchen, but he didn't find Fiona. There was a knot growing in his stomach. Where was she?

Coming back to the bed, he realized that her shoes were gone. His heart beat faster as he checked their closet frantically. Her suitcase was gone, along with most of her clothes.

No, no, no…

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening.

Still only wearing a t-shirt and boxers, Michael unlocked the front door and threw it open, then charged out into the freezing rain.

"Fiona!"

His eyes desperately searched the surroundings, but she was nowhere to be seen, and he felt his heart shattering.

"Fi…"

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A year after Fiona disappeared from his life, Michael found himself in Houston, Texas, chasing a Serbian that the government wanted. His burn notice had officially been lifted six months ago, along with the restrictions on his travel. He had discovered a newfound freedom, but he didn't give a damn. Fiona was still gone, and he hadn't heard anything from her. His biggest fear was that she'd gone back to Ireland, but his gut told him that her brother Sean would have called if she had.

In the six months since his ban had been lifted, he had searched tirelessly for her, to no avail. Sam worried about him, but his mother understood his desperate need to find Fiona, if only to get some kind of closure.

All he knew was that he missed her. He had never thought that he could need someone so much, miss someone so much. He didn't even hurt this badly when he and Samantha broke up. But without Fiona, it was like he was missing a limb.

He needed her like he needed oxygen to breathe, and every other thought was about her. Was she okay? Was she happy? Did she miss him?

He was walking along the sidewalk after grabbing a quick dinner, and the rain came out of nowhere. He growled softly as he searched for shelter.

Was Fiona caught in the rain somewhere, too?

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he completely missed the person walking toward him, until they collided. Instinctively his hands shot out, preventing them from falling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you…" he apologized as she pushed her hair out of her face. His eyes landed on her face, and his heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be.

"Fi?"

_It was raining hard in Houston_

_When I ran into her_

_I searched for conversation_

_But I was lost for words_

Fiona looked up at him, her own heart pounding and her luminous eyes round with surprise. "Michael…"

His mouth opened and closed several times. He had been searching for her for a year, and here she was, standing in front of him. Alive and well. His eyes went over her instinctively.

She shifted under his intense stare and looked away. How on Earth had he ended up here? He wasn't even supposed to travel, let alone wind up halfway across the country. Maybe his burn notice had finally been lifted. Maybe he was working for the government again, just like he'd wanted to for so long. Maybe her leaving had been the best thing that ever happened to him. Maybe he was finally happy.

The pain of losing her washed over him anew, and he struggled to breathe. She really was right in front of him. Her hair was even longer, and her eyes were still that fascinating mixture of blue and green, just like the ocean after a storm. The pain intensified.

Fiona searched his face, but what she was looking for, she didn't know. All of the feelings she had thought that she'd dealt with came flooding back, sending her reeling.

The rain continued to pour, soaking them both to the bone. Tears rolled down Michael's cheeks, mixing with the rain water. He wasn't sure if he was angry or thankful that she couldn't tell if he was crying, or if she could, that she didn't say anything.

Overwhelmed, Fiona looked away again, but she ached to run to his arms and never let him go again. She wanted to go back to Miami with him, and she wanted to tell him the truth about why she had left. That she had wanted to protect their baby, and that she still loved him with all of her heart.

But her feet remained stubbornly on the concrete, unmoving.

_Then a cloud of tear-filled memories_

_Came crashing down on me_

_If it hadn't been for the pouring rain_

_I'm sure she would have seen_

Finally he found his voice. "What…what are you doing here, Fiona?" There was so much more that he wanted to ask, that he needed to know, but that was a good starting point.

"I should be asking you the same question."

"I… I'm on assignment."

"So your burn notice was lifted?"

He nodded. "Yeah. A few months ago."

"That's good. I'm happy for you."

Slowly he took a step closer to her. Couldn't she tell how badly he was hurting? He wanted to drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness for whatever sin he had committed that had sent her running from his arms and out of his life. "What are you doing here?" he repeated.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I… I needed a fresh start."

"Away from me?"

"Away from everything."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered. "I would have gone with you."

She scoffed. "Michael, we both know that's not true. And it worked out for the best. We're both happy, and you have your old job back. You have everything you wanted."

Not everything. He didn't have her.

"And I have a good life here," she continued. "I have a decent job, a house…"

"Are you seeing someone?"

"Are you?" she countered.

He shook his head slowly. Why didn't she understand that she was the only one for him? She thought he was so strong, but in reality, he was nothing without her.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. "Neither am I."

The rain finally began to let up, and Fiona looked at him once more. "I have to go, Michael."

His hand shot out, closing around her arm. "Fi…"

She looked at him expectantly. "Yes?"

His lips moved, but he didn't make a sound. His tears came even faster, hidden by the raindrops that still fell. He couldn't let her go again.

When he didn't say anything, she slowly pulled her arm away. Then she leaned up on her toes and softly kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, Michael," she whispered against his skin. She pulled away and took a step back, away from him. "Goodbye."

He watched her turn and walk away, and he was powerless to stop it. In a way, this was much worse than the first time she'd left. Now he had to watch her go, knowing there wasn't a damn thing he could do.

The rain washed away the fresh tears that fell, and he stood there for a while, long after she had disappeared from his sight.

"Fi…"

_Tears in the rain, hiding the pain_

_Maybe she'd come back if she could see me cry_

_She thinks I'm so strong, but she's so wrong_

_She just couldn't see these tears in the rain_

Two days later, Michael was back at his loft, still reeling from seeing Fiona. When he had arrived back in Miami, the first person he saw was Sam. And without saying a word, Sam knew that something major had happened in the time that Michael was gone. So he had waited patiently, and after several beers, the story came flooding out of his best friend.

Now he was sitting in a chair in the loft, nursing another beer. He hadn't gotten all of the details yet, but he tried not to push Mikey for them.

He didn't need to.

"She was right in front of me, and I just let her go," Michael whispered, staring down into the bottle of beer Sam had placed in his hand. "I let her go."

"What did she say?"

"She said she needed a fresh start, away from here."

"And what did you say?"

"I told her… I would have gone with her."

Though it should have, that revelation didn't surprise Sam at all. Fiona was trouble, but within just a few weeks of Michael meeting her, Sam saw a massive change in his best friend. It was the first time, he believed, that Mikey had really been in love, and it had thrown him for a loop. And when he had to leave Fiona in Ireland, it had devastated him. Sam had been the one to pick up the pieces, and when Fiona came back into Michael's life, Sam had warned him about getting involved with the Irish spitfire again. But Michael had ignored it, and Sam hadn't brought it up again. He wouldn't stand in the way, because as wimpy as it sounded, he didn't want to lose Mikey as a friend. He and Fiona were a package deal, and over time, he came to see how good they were for each other, when they weren't trying to kill each other. And he found himself wishing that he could find that same devotion and love for himself.

"I don't think she believed me." Michael emptied his beer bottle and tossed it aside.

"Did you tell her you loved her."

There was a long pause. "No. I didn't." He had hoped that Fiona would be able to see it written all over his face. He had never been very good with words. And now he was thinking that he would regret not telling her for the rest of his miserable life.

_Now I'll regret that moment_

_Cause I didn't let her know_

_How much I still loved her_

_I was hoping it would show_

"You didn't?" Sam sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Mikey, you gotta go back and find her."

"Why?"

"Because you two need each other! If you tell her that you love her, I know she'd believe you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I do, man." Sam got to his feet. "Get up." He was going to help his best friend, whether Mikey wanted the help or not.

Michael reluctantly stood, not sure if he liked where Sam was going with this.

Moving fast, Sam threw a few articles of clothing into a bag. Then he pushed Michael through the door of the loft.

Michael looked at his best friend as though Sam had lost his mind, but Sam didn't seem to notice. That, or he didn't care.

Sam led Michael down to the Charger and tossed Michael's bag into the backseat. Sometimes Mikey was smart and compliant, other times he had to be hit over the head a few times before he finally understood something.

A few minutes later, the Charger roared to life.

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Within three hours, any of the alcohol Michael had consumed was long gone, and he was left very sober in the airport lounge. In his hand was a ticket to Houston, and the bag Sam had packed for him was sitting by his feet.

He just hoped he knew what he was doing.

_But the raindrops and the teardrops_

_Ran together on my face_

_Now she'll never ever know_

_No one can take her place_

That night, Michael walked down the streets of Houston, following up on another lead. He had been searching for Fiona for hours, and he was becoming frustrated. The woman was damn good at hiding, but what was she hiding from?

Finally he found the address on the paper clutched in his hand, and he studied the house. It was beautiful, but he couldn't see why she needed such a large place. Unless…

He swallowed hard. Unless she really was with someone, and they planned on having a family. She had always wanted children, and he had always denied her. Looking back, he realized that it had been wrong of him to do that. Of course he was afraid of turning into his father, and there was always the risk of the wrong person finding out about their child. But Fiona needed a baby to complete her, and if he somehow managed to get her back, he would give her everything that he had refused to before, including a baby. He would do whatever he needed to to make her happy, for the rest of their lives.

Knowing that, he jogged up to the front door and knocked before he could lose his nerve.

The door swung open a few moments later, and Fiona stared at him, obviously shocked.

Before she could say a word, Michael dropped to his knees in front of her. "Fiona, please, just listen to me. Whatever I did, whatever it was that made you go, I'm sorry. I was so stupid before, and it took losing you for me to realize just how much… how much I need you, and how much I love you."

Her eyes widened, and she gripped the doorframe in a white-knuckled grip.

Moving closer, he wrapped his arms firmly around her slender waist and rested his head against her abdomen. "I love you, Fi," he whispered, and a tear rolled down his cheek. But this time, there was no rain to wash it away.

Her heart ached, but her brain screamed at her to make him leave. It was the only way to keep him safe, to keep them safe.

But she couldn't do it.

He was shocked when her arms slipped around him and pulled him closer to her. "Fi?"

She closed her eyes and threaded her hand through his dark hair. "I love you, too, Michael."

Finally he raised his head and looked up at her.

She looked at him, and they both smiled through the tears.

Slowly he got to his feet. Wrapping his arms around her again, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers in a warm, sweet kiss. God, he had missed her even more than he thought was possible.

Without hesitation she wound her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

A noise from inside the house broke them apart, and Michael looked past her in apprehension.

"What was that?"

Sighing, Fiona shook her head and took him by the hand. "You should come inside, Michael."

He was concerned, but he followed her, for no other reason than that he loved her.

_Tears in the rain, hiding the pain_

_Maybe she'd come back if she could see me cry_

_She thinks I'm so strong, but she's so wrong_

_She just couldn't see these tears in the rain_

She led him into the house, and his eyes widened when he saw what looked to be a cradle in the middle of the living room.

Fiona let go of his hand and moved to the cradle. "Michael, I didn't just abandon you. I had to leave because I couldn't stay and endanger your life." She leaned down. "Our lives."

He felt his breathing hitch when she said that. Our lives?

Turning around, she offered him an uncertain smile. But he didn't notice that. What he did notice was the baby she held in her arms.

His knees buckled.

"Michael, this is your daughter. Our daughter." She looked down at the baby in her arms. "Her name is Evelyn Michelle."

And just like that, Michael's entire world changed forever.

_She thinks I'm so strong, but she's so wrong_

_She just couldn't see these tears in the rain_

The End.

A/N: Well, there ya'll have it. I chose the baby's name because Evelyn is an Irish name that means 'wished-for' or 'longed-for child', and Michelle is the feminine form of Michael. I'm not going to say that this is the last of this little universe, because I had no intention of continuing Of My Heart, and look what happened. LMAO. So we'll see where the muse goes. What did you guys think? Thanks for reading, and please let me know what your thoughts were of this, and of another possible sequel!


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